Board separator/surf mat/protective device

ABSTRACT

A system for protecting a board includes a protective device having straps for connecting said board to the protective device and the protective device having a textured surface to impart a mirror image to the board.

PRIORITY

The present invention claims priority under 35 U.S.C. section 119 andprovisional application Ser. No. 60/679,894 filed on May 11, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, when transporting more than one surfboard on a surf rack,both surfboards may touch which can cause damage during impact of thetop board. Also, the surf wax can melt onto the bottom surfboard whichcan cause performance issues.

Tying a surfboard to the roof of a vehicle may create additionalproblems. In order to properly control the surfboard while driving, thesurfboard should be tied to the automobile tightly in several locations.However, it is very difficult to tie the surfboard to the roof in orderto render the surfboard immovable on the roof of the automobile. Ifthere is any movement of the surfboard on the roof, either or both thesurfboard or roof may be scratched.

This problem is compounded when two or more surfboards are beingtransported.

Typically, when transporting surfboards in a pickup truck or any vehiclewhich has a large bed, the surfboard is placed at a 45° angle with thetop of the surfboard facing down. This may result in damage to thesurfboard when the pickup truck or vehicle hits bumps while moving. Thisdamage is especially pronounced at the top and front of the surfboard.

Transporting surfboards is difficult because of the long length of thesurfboard which may exceed 6 feet in length. The typical car trunkcannot accept an object as long as a surfboard without allowing aportion of the surfboard to extend beyond the end of the automobile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a protective device which is used toprotect various types of boards that generally are required to betransported. The protective device may include a textured surface sothat a mirror image of the textured surface can be transferred to theboard if desired. Furthermore, the protective device may include a flapto extend around the front end of the board to provide for protectionwhile being transported in vehicles that have a bed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 a illustrates perspective view of a board and protective deviceof the present invention;

FIG. 1 b illustrates a perspective view of the protective device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle using the protectivedevice of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of theprotective device of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a surfboard;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the protective device beingused with the surfboard;

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the board facing downwardswith the protective device of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of theprotective device of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the bottom of the boardand the protective device of the present invention;

FIGS. 11 a-b illustrate the protective device with loops and straps;

FIGS. 12 a-b illustrate the protective device with pads;

FIGS. 13 a-b illustrate the protective device with straps;

FIG. 14 illustrates the protective device with flaps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 a-b illustrate a protective system 100 as shown in FIG. 1 of thepresent invention. The system 100 as shown in FIG. 1 includes a board102 which may be a surfboard, a snowboard, a skateboard a windsurfingboard, plywood or any other suitable board and a protective device 104which may be used to separate boards or to protect the wax side of asurfboard and to protect vehicle surfaces. The protective device 104 maybe formed from rigid material or a flexible type material that will notdamage the board 102, and may be formed with a protective covering suchas cloth, ultraviolet material, water resistant or fabric material, foamtype material or may be formed with several layers of a protectivecovering such as cloth or quilted material. FIG. 1 a illustrates theprotective device 104 adjacent to one side of the board 102 which may bethe side of the board 102 which may have been waxed. The protectivedevice 104 is held in place by strap 106 which is attached to theprotective device 104 by extending across the other side of the board102 and being connected to another strap 106 from the opposing side ofthe protective device 104. The straps 106 are connected and attached toeach other by an attachment device 108 which may be Velcro or othersuitable attachment devices. The strap 106 is formed from flexiblematerial and may include elastic material for flexibility. Theattachment device 108 may include elastic material for flexibility. Theprotective device 104 is substantially the same shape as the board 102that is being protected. However, the protective device 104 may beslightly larger or slightly smaller than the board 102. FIG. 1 billustrates that the protective device 104 may include decorative fabricmaterial 112 on a portion or on the entire surface of the protectivedevice 104 that opposes the board 102. Furthermore, FIG. 1 b illustratesa textured surface 110 on the side of the protective device 104 adjacentto the board 102. The textured surface 110 imparts a mirror image of thetexture on the texture surface 110 to the wax of the wax surface of theboard 102 that results from being pressed together. The texture on thewax surface is desirable by users of the board 102 to provide forincreased friction on the surface of the board 102. FIG. 1 b illustratesthat the straps 106 may run continuously across the protective device104. The protective device 104 of the present invention could take placeof the surf rack.

FIG. 2 illustrates the side of the protective device 104 which is to bepositioned adjacent to the board 102. FIG. 2 shows that the surface ofthe protective device 104 could include different textured surface 110on different areas of the protective device 104. The protective device104 could be made without the textured surface 110 and have a flatsmooth surface. FIG. 2 additionally shows that the protective device 104may have a zipper 107 added to the side seam of the protective device104. The protective device 104 eliminates the need of a towel or anyother fabric material separating the surfboards. The surface of theprotective device 104 includes a first textured surface 220 whichincludes an area of first upward projections 221 which could be spikeshaving a sharp tip or a soft flexible tip, a second textured surface 222including second upward projections 223 which could be bumps having arelatively smooth tip, a third textured surface 224 including thirdupward projections 225 which may be zigzag pattern of upward projectionsand a fourth textured surface 226 having fourth upward projections 227which could have multiple non-uniform shapes. Other designs for thetextured surface 110 include ovals, circles or squares.

FIG. 3 illustrates a protective system for two boards 102 or onesurfboard which includes a first protective device 332 and a secondprotective device 334. This aspect of the present invention could beextended to three or more boards 102. The first protective device 332and the second protective device 334 each protect a board 102 or oneboard. The first protective device 332 and the second protective device334 are interconnected by interconnecting strap 336. The firstprotective device 332 and the second protective device 334 are shown inFIG. 3 as being smaller than the board 102. However, the firstprotective device 332 and the second protective device 334 could beapproximately the same size as the board 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates the first protective device 332 and the secondprotective device 334 positioned between three boards 102 on a vehicle440. The vehicle 440 has the first and second protective device 332, 334and the three boards 102 positioned on the roof of the vehicle 440 forstorage. The first protective device 332 and the second protectivedevice 334 protect the boards 102 and the vehicle 440 from scratches,dings, dents and wax melting onto the roof of the vehicle. Additionally,the strap 106 can be positioned around the roof of the vehicle 440.

FIG. 5 illustrates the protective device 104 including the straps 106having a decorative area at one end of the protective device 104.

FIG. 6 illustrates a surfboard 656 which is one type of board 102 thatmay be used in conjunction with the present invention. FIG. 6illustrates the front end 660 of the surf board 656, the middle 662 ofthe surf board 656 and the back end 664 of the surf board 656.

FIG. 7 illustrates that the protective device 104 has been placed on thesurfboard 656 and the straps 106 have been placed around the surfboard656 in order to secure the protective device 104 to the surfboard 656.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.8, a flap 880 is connected to the longitudinal end of the protectivedevice 104 and is formed from flexible material such as cloth so thatthe flap 880 can be extended over the front end 660 of the surfboard 656to prevent damage to the front end 660 of the surfboard 656 when beingtransported in a vehicle with a bed such as a pickup truck.

FIG. 9 illustrates that the flap 880 has been extended around the frontend of the surfboard 656 to form a pocket for the front end 660 of thesurfboard 656 which includes a first attachment device 882 and secondattachment device 884; both the first attachment device 882 and thesecond attachment device 884 may be Velcro or other suitable attachmentdevice and positioned on the flap 880. Connected to the flap 880 isstrap 886 which includes a third attachment device 884 positioned at theend of the strap 886 and which may be Velcro, allowing the strap 886 tobe wound around the flap 880 so that the front 660 of the surfboard 656is protected. The protective device may have no flaps and could justhave a pocket in which to insert the ‘nose’ of the front end of thesurfboard with the strap securing it. FIG. 9 shows the bottom of theprotective device 104 with two straps 106 extending to the other side ofthe protective device 104 and the strap 886 holding the flap 880 inposition.

FIG. 10 illustrates the straps 106 and the attachment device 108 aroundthe board 102.

FIG. 1 a illustrates loop 1107 to accept the strap 106 on the opposingside of the protective device 104. The loop 1107 allows the strap 106 tosecure the protective device 104. Two straps 106 and two loops 1107 areshown in

FIG. 11 a. The protective device 100 could be used as a bag with thestraps.

FIG. 11 b illustrates three straps 106 and three loops 1107.

FIG. 12 a illustrates pad 1220 which could be a foam pad positionedacross the bottom of the protective device 104.

FIG. 12 b illustrates pad 1220 positioned across the top of theprotective device 104.

FIG. 13 a illustrates clip 1332 positioned along the side of theprotective device 104 attached to strap 1334 so that the protectivedevice 104 with or without the surfboard can be carried. FIG. 13 a andFIG. 13 b illustrates a hand strap 1336 at each end of the protectivedevice 104. FIG. 13 a additionally illustrates that zippers 1338 couldbe formed on both of the side seams or on one side seam of theprotective device 104.

FIG. 14 illustrates the protective device 100 which could include flaps1440 which are positioned along the side of the protective device 100 tocover the side rails of the surfboard. The flaps 1440 can be of quiltedmaterial and may include foam pads to protect the side rails of theboard. The flaps can be continuous or as shown non continuous around theedge of the protective device 100.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that the description herein of specificembodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed.

1. A system for protecting a board, comprising: a protective devicehaving straps for connecting said board to said protective device; saidprotective device having an uniform textured surface to impart a mirrorimage to said board.
 2. A system for protecting a board as in claim 1,wherein said uniform textured surface includes an upward projection. 3.A system for protecting a board as in claim 2, wherein said upwardprojection includes a spike.
 4. A system for protecting a board as inclaim 2, wherein said upward projection includes a bump.
 5. A system forprotecting a board as in claim 2, wherein said upward projectionincludes an oval.
 6. A system for protecting a board as in claim 1,wherein said texture surface is positioned against a wax surface of saidboard.
 7. A system for protecting a board as in claim 1, wherein saidboard includes a surfboard.
 8. A system for protecting a board as inclaim 1, wherein said board includes a snowboard.
 9. A system forprotecting a board as in claim 1, wherein said board includes askateboard.
 10. A system for protecting a board as in claim 1, whereinsaid board includes a windsurfing board.
 11. A system for protecting aboard, comprising: a protective device having straps for connecting saidboard to said protective device; said protective device having atextured surface to impart a mirror image to said board a flap connectedto said protective device for protecting an end of said board.
 12. Asystem for protecting a board as in claim 11, wherein said texturesurface includes an upward projection.
 13. A system for protecting aboard as in claim 12, wherein said upward projection includes a spike.14. A system for protecting a board as in claim 12, wherein said upwardprojection includes a bump.
 15. A system for protecting a board as inclaim 12, wherein said upward projection includes an oval.
 16. A systemfor protecting a board as in claim 11, wherein said texture surface ispositioned against a wax surface of said board.
 17. A system forprotecting a board as in claim 11, wherein said board includes asurfboard.
 18. A system for protecting a board as in claim 11 whereinsaid board includes a snowboard.
 19. A system for protecting a board asin claim 11, wherein said board includes a skateboard.
 20. A system forprotecting a board as in claim 1, wherein said uniform textured surfaceincludes a flexible smoothed upward textured surface.